Sex Work and Human Rights: Lessons from Canada for the UK

A Two-Day Symposium: Thursday 18th – Friday 19th September 2014

In December 2013, the Supreme Court of Canada struck down three provisions of the Canadian Criminal Code, holding that they violate sex workers’ constitutional right to security of the person, and gave the Canadian Parliament one year to come up with new legislation, should it decide to do so. This landmark decision marked the first successful human rights challenge to the criminalisation of sex workers.

The conference will bring together academics, practitioners and activists from Canada and the UK, to think about the impact of the Bedford v Canada case in Canada, how it might provide lessons to the UK, and what human rights and a human rights challenge might look like for sex workers in the UK.

We welcome papers from academics, sex workers and activists and are open to alternative forms of presentation.

Key Speakers:

Maggie O’ Neill (Durham University)

John Lowman (Simon Fraser University)

Nick Mai (London Metropolitan University)

Niki Adams and Laura Watson (English Collective of Prostitutes)

Rosie Campbell (Genesis)

Georgina Perry (Open Doors)

Jenn Clamen (Stella)

Amy Lebovitch (SPOC; plaintiff in Bedford v Canada)

Also showing ‘Normal’ – a film on migrant sex work by Professor Nick Mai